Sewing-machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. P. LITTLEJOHN.

SEWING MACHINE.

4 N m TU, m LA TM T LI Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

Z 5 L E m 5 h L w N M I w W (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. P. LITTLEJOHN.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 891,806. Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

N. PETERS, PhokuLilhogmphur. Washi n nnnnn c.

(No Model.)

4 +u e e h S m e e h S 4 N E m J. m LA TM G I Lm .W S 0 Ihyrra TTES PATENT tries.

CHARLES F. LITITLEJOHN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. B. WELOH, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,806, dated October 30, 1888.

Application filed December 22, 1886. Serial No. 222,235. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- needle-bar, D, the needle; E, the tension for Be it known that I, CHARLES F. LITTLE- the upper thread; F, the takeup; G, the JOHN, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairpresser-foot, and I the feed-dog. These parts field and State of Connecticut, have invented serve the purpose and perform the functions certain new and useful Improvements in Sewcommon thereto in all sewing-machines in 55 ing-Machines, of which the following is a which they are found, and may be actuated specification. by any suitable mechanism calculated to effect My invention relates to sewingmachines of their requisite movements, the character of the class known as lock-stitch machines, in which is so well understood as not to need LO which the loop of the upper thread is carried particular explanation. 7 6o aroundastationarybobbin,on which the under In carrying out my invention I provide a thread is wound. bobbin-case, a, which, as common in devices It is the object of my invention to effect imof this character, covers one side and the provcmcnts which will insure entire freedom mouth or opening between the sides of the r 5 of the thread from contact with oil or any of bobbin 7). The bobbin-case a is held in posi- 6 the lubricated parts. tion between the two walls 0 d of the bobbin- It is also the object of my invention to effect case holder in such position that a thread may improvements touching the points of simplicbe freely carried therearound, and to maintain ity of construction and certainty-and rapidity the bobbin-case in stationary position-that 2 of operation. is, so as to keep it from turning in the bobbin- 70 To these ends my invention consists in the case ho1dersaid bobbin-case a is provided improvements hereinafter described, and on its rear edge and a little back of and below pointed out in the claims. its highest point with a horn, 6, adapted to Reference is to be had to the accompanying rest in a recess, f, formed in the rear wall, d,

drawings,and to theletters of referencemarked of the bobbin-case holder. The front wall, 0, 75 thereon, forming a part of this specification, of the bobbin-case holder is hinged or pivoted similar letters indicating similar parts wherat g to a suitable bracket, h, formed on or at ever they occur. tached to the bed A, and the free end of a Ofthe drawings, Figure 1 represents a front spring, 2', bears on the heel of the hinge per end View of a sewing machine embodying my tion of the wall 0, so that when the ease-holder 8o invention. Fig. 2 represents aside view, paris opened by moving said wall on its pivot or tially in section, of the front end of a sewinghinge it will be yieldingly held at an angle of machine equipped with my improvements. about forty-five degrees to its normal posi- Fig. 3 is a diagram of the bottom of the bobtion, to facilitate the manipulations necessary bin-case holder. Fig. 4. is a section on the in removing and replacing the bobbin and 85 line 2 2 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the bobbin-case. front of the bobbin-case and rear portion of j indicates a rock-shaft provided on its forthe bobbin-case holder, parts being repreward end with a hook, is, constructed and arsented as broken away. Fig. 6 is a top plan ranged to move around in a line concentric view of a portion of the bobbin and bobbinwith and near to theupper forward and lower 9c: case. Figs. 7 to 12, inclusive, are diagrams portions of the periphery of the bobbin-case in perspective, showing the construction of holder. Awire guard, Z, is attached tothe forthe parts immediately concerned in the formaward end of the hook 7c on the side farthest tion of the stitch and the successive steps purfrom the needle, and extends upward or outsued in the accomplishment of that function. ward toward the front end of the machine and 5 The arrows marked on the several figures of rearwardly, for a purpose to be presently exthe drawings indicate the directions of moveplained. ment of the various parts. To provide a tension for the bobbin'thrcad,

In the drawings, A represents the bed of I construct a spring, an, adapted to extend up the machine; 13, the overhanging arm; G, the along and bear against the forward side of horn IOO e, as shown most clearly in Figs. etand 5. Said spring at at its lower end is bent at right angles to the part which rests against the side of horn c, and said angular part is by preference set into and secured in a recess formed in the periphery of the bobbin-case, and a hole, a, is formed through the latter and the angular portion of the spring for the passage of the thread from the bobbin 1), which thread is pressed between spring in and horn e and drawn up in slot 0 to the eye p, whence it passes between the end of the spring and horn to the work. A screw, q, is fitted in a screwthreaded hole formed in the horn e, the forward or inner end of which screw rests against the inner side or face of springm,and serves as a means of regulating the force with which said spring bears against horn e and governs the tension on the bobbin-thread.

The bobbin-case a is provided on its edge or periphery with a rib, q, as best seen in Fig. 10, and the opposing edges of the walls a d of the bobbin-case holder are cut away somewhat at the lower outer portion, as shown at r s, Fig. 3.

As is shown, a hole, 0, is formed in the wall 0 of the bobbin-case holder at a point directly under the needle. This feature serves the double purpose of first furnishing provision whereby the needle is permitted to descend to the lowest point of its downward movement, as clearly represented in Fig. 9, and, secondly, it serves as a guide to prevent the needle from springing over. against and beyond the line of travel of the point of the hook, thereby insuring that the hook shall not in its forward movement catch the needle and break it. To make the hole 0 fully answer the purpose of a guide to the needle in the movements of the latter, the walls of said hole are funnelshapedthat is, said hole is made larger at the top than at the bottom, and its sides are gradually inclined, as best shown in Fig. 12; or aninclined projection, 0, may be formed on the wall around the hole 0, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12, though a hole with parallel sides formed in the wall 0 large enough to permit the passage of the needle and thread would answer ordinary circumstances.

The operation of my invention is as follows: A stitch having been formed and the parts being in the position represented in Fig. 7, the needle descends and simultaneously therewith the hook moves upward around the periphery of the walls 0 d of the bobbin-case holder, the end of wire guard Z passing to the forward side of the bobbin-thread, as shown in Fig; 8, in order to move and hold said thread out of the way of the point of the hook k as said hook moves forward to catch the loop thrown out from the side of the needle, as pictured in Fig. 9. As now hook 70 moves around in the direction of the arrows in said last-mentioned figure, the portion of the loop drawn directly from the eye of the needle will fall to the right of rib g on the bobbin-case, and as said hook moves still farther in the direction of the arrows the other por tion of the loop will fall the other side of said rib q, (see Fig. 10,) and the two strands of the loop thus separated and guided with certainty to opposite sides ofthe bobbin-case. The hook continues in its movement, carrying the loop around the bobbin-case to the position represented in Fig. 11, at which point the take-up begins to act, drawing the loop off the hook and up around the bobbin-case, as shown in Fig. 12, forming, in connection with the bobbin-thread, a lock-stitch, when the hook returns and the operation described is repeated. The walls of the bobbin-case holder being cut away, as represented at r s, Fig. 3, prevents the strands of the loop from rubbing against said walls, as they otherwise would when the hook moves around to the position in which it is represented in Fig. 7.

By the means shown and described I am enabled to dispense entirely with a lubricant for the parts carrying the lower thread, as also the parts immediately associated therewith and concerned in the formation of the stitch, and

so insure the use of thread absolutely free from 0il--a thing quite impossible when the shuttle rotates, or oscillates, or reciprocates.

Other points of advantage resulting from my improvements are simplicity of construction and certainty and rapidity of operation.

It is obvious that my invention is not de pendent upon the precise form and arrangement of the parts shown and described, as these may be varied without departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim is- 1. The combination, with a reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbincase holder provided with a recess or notch,

f, a bobbin-case held loosely in the bobbincase holder, and provided with a horn, 6, projecting from its periphery, which horn is arranged to rest in said recess or notch to maintain the bobbin-case at all times in proper operative position, substantially as set forth.

2. Abobbincase provided with a horn forming an integral part of the bobbin-case and projecting from the periphery thereof, combined with a bobbin-case holder provided with a recess, f, in which said horn is adapted to rest, and a tension-spring, m, secured to the periphery of the bobbin-case, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbincase holder consisting of the circular walls 0 d and a non-rotating bobbin-case, a, in said holder,provided on its edge or periphery with the rib q, whereby the two strands of the loop will be properly separated and guided around the bobbin-case, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbinease holder consisting of the circular walls 0 IIO (t, provided with the notch f, and a bobbincase holder a, having a horn, 0, arranged to rest in said notch to hold the bobbin-case from rotating, and provided with a rib, g, on its periphery, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

5. The combination, with a reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbincase holder consisting of the circular walls a d and a non-rotating bobbin-case, a, held therein, said circular wallsc (Z cutaway at thelower side, as at r 8, whereby the book will be permitted to freely cast its loop when it arrives at a point below the bobbin-case holder, substantiall y as set forth.

6. The'combination, with a reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbincase holder consisting of the circular walls a d, cut away on the under side at r s and having the notchf, and a bobbin-holder, a, provided with a horn, 0, arranged to restin said notch, and having a rib, g, on its periphery, substan' tially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a reciprocating needle, a stationary bobbin-case holder,a nonrotating bobbin -case therein, and a bobbin loose in said case, of an oscillating hook provided with a wire guard, Z, attached by one end to the forward end of the hook, and extending upwardly, outwardly, and rearwardly therefrom, the free end of said guard standing out or away from said hook, whereby the free end of said guard may engage the bobbinthread as the hook moves upward and backward,to hold said thread out of the way of the point of the hook as the latter moves to catch the loop thrown out by the needle,and release said thread as the hook moves forward and downward, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the reciprocating needle and an oscillating hook, of a bobbin, bobbin-case, and bobbin-case holder, consisting of two circular walls, 0 d, the latter wall being provided with a hole or recess, 0, and an inclined or funnel-shaped projection, c", substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this l lth day of December, A. D. 1886.

CHARLES F. 'LITTLEJOHN.

Witnesses:

WALTER NIoHoLs, C. R. MoRRIs. 

